TABLE 1.

Unadjusted incidence rate of sudden death and ventricular arrhythmia (as a first-listed emergency department or principal inpatient diagnosis) in beneficiaries exposed to antidepressants, by pharmacologic class

Drug	Users	Person-years	SD/VA events	Crude incidence rate per 1,000 person- years (95% CI)	Unadjusted incidence rate ratio versus paroxetine (95% CI)
TRICYCLIC (2° and 3° AMINES)
amitriptyline	354,298	106,373	322	3.03 (2.71–3.38)	0.96 (0.84–1.10)
amoxapine	676	*	*	9.20 (1.11–33.23)	2.93 (0.35–10.60)
clomipramine	6,815	*	*	2.20 (0.81–4.79)	0.70 (0.26–1.53)
desipramine	13,232	3,499	16	4.57 (2.61–7.43)	1.45 (0.83–2.37)
doxepin	52,638	13,843	54	3.90 (2.93–5.09)	1.24 (0.92–1.63)
imipramine	58,027	18,375	24	1.31 (0.84–1.94)	0.41 (0.26–0.62)
nortriptyline	91,071	25,229	95	3.77 (3.05–4.60)	1.20 (0.96–1.48)
protriptyline	1,592	375	0	-	-
trimipramine	287	*	*	12.64 (0.32–70.42)	4.02 (0.10–22.45)
TETRACYCLIC
maprotiline	307	94	0	-	-
mirtazapine	214,072	84,230	546	6.48 (5.95–7.05)	2.06 (1.84–2.30)
TRIAZOLOPYRIDINE
trazodone	282,980	81,776	282	3.45 (3.06–3.88)	1.09 (0.95–1.26)
AMINOKETONE
bupropion	340,163	99,205	165	1.66 (1.42–1.94)	0.53 (0.44–0.63)
PHENETHYLAMINE
venlafaxine	225,379	89,218	289	3.24 (2.88–3.64)	1.03 (0.90–1.18)
PHENYLPIPERAZINE
nefazodone	70,794	26,517	60	2.26 (1.73–2.91)	0.72 (0.54–0.93)
SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITOR
citalopram	294,434	134,210	484	3.61 (3.29–3.94)	1.14 (1.02–1.28)
fluoxetine	301,585	130,795	367	2.81 (2.53–3.11)	0.89 (0.78–1.01)
fluvoxamine	23,842	12,249	27	2.20 (1.45–3.21)	0.70 (0.46–1.03)
paroxetine	560,822	247,595	780	3.15 (2.93–3.38)	reference
sertraline	452,216	189,394	669	3.53 (3.27–3.81)	1.12 (1.01–1.24)
ANTI-BIPOLAR
lithium	52,240	21,444	33	1.54 (1.06–2.16)	0.49 (0.33–0.69)

^*omitted per Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services privacy requirement